


First Steps

by peppymint



Category: Good Omens - Gaiman & Pratchett
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-18
Updated: 2010-01-18
Packaged: 2017-10-06 10:06:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/52483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peppymint/pseuds/peppymint
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one<br/>Aziraphale is an angel, and thus a creature of compassion. Even when a certain demon is involved. Set right before the Flood.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First Steps

“WE ARE DISAPPOINTED CRAWLY, REPORTING UNFOUNDED RUMORS. NOW GO DO YOUR JOB, AND DON’T BOTHER US AGAIN WITH SUCH MATTERS.”The blackish flame vanished, leaving nothing but the stench of sulfur in its wake.

The demon, one Crowley by name, just stared at the now useless circle in shock. This was not happening. He couldn’t believe they had refused him. The winged figure knew he needed to get up, but he just couldn’t. His entire body had gone numb.

The tempter had noticed something was off some time ago. Everywhere he went he heard warnings for the people to change their ways, or face the consequences. The news had traveled unnaturally fast. To the serpent, the whole thing reeked of divine intervention. The hair on the back of his neck was starting to stand on end.

At first, Hell’s agent on Earth hadn’t paid it any mind. Then the rumors had escalated. God was planning on destroying the world, using a flood of all things. There had also been talk about some madman building a boat, like any of these desert dwellers knew how. The demon figured the guy would die with everyone else.

Crowley had quickly come to the conclusion it was time to go. Unfortunately, his plan was more or less sunk, thanks to his superiors, and so was he. The fallen angel was overcome by an unfamiliar feeling. After a moment he identified it, fear. He hadn’t felt this way since _The Fall_.

Under normal circumstances, the demon would have just picked a fight and got himself discorporated. It wouldn’t have been hard. Human bodies are so fragile. That would have been an instant trip back to Hell. Knowing how the bureaucracy works, everything would probably have been over by the time he got back.

Due to recent events, that wasn’t an option. Downstairs had recalled his material body about a decade ago on account of, “humans no longer needing his direct intervention,” end quote. Liars, the lot of them, they had just wanted to make his life miserable. Then again, they were demons. It was in the job description. Now though, this inconvenience had become a very real problem.

The skin Crowley now wore was his real body. There would be no second chances, dead was dead. Worse, considering he didn’t actually have a soul, rather he was the soul. The serpent shuddered as he imagined the holy water eating away at him like acid. Anything was better than that.

The demon considered his options, not that there were many. He knew he was going to die. The only thing he could control would be the method. Pity there weren’t more things that possessed the power to destroy a demon. Crowley’s lips twisted as he rose to his feet. It was time to find Aziraphale.

As for the angel, he stood looking out over a small city, one of many that would cease to exist in a short while. Aziraphale blamed himself. It was his job to keep humans on the proper path, and he had failed. In all the world, only a single family retained God’s favor. The principality had been busy the last few years, watching over Noah and helping him with his task.

He tensed slightly when he felt the demonic presence behind him. The angel didn’t need to look to know it was his counterpart. Now that was the last thing he needed. “What are you doing here Crowley?” Aziraphale asked. “Come to gloat?”

“No,” the serpent’s voice sounded hollow to his own ears, Aziraphale was too distracted to notice. Shortly thereafter it occurred to the demon that was perhaps not the best way to start a fight. Crowley forced a self-satisfied smirk onto his face as he slunk around the divine being.

“Though I sssuppose I can if you want me to. What’sss wrong angel?” he taunted, not bothering to imitate human speech. “You look upset about sssomething.”

Aziraphale looked right into the snake like eyes. “Of course I’m upset. All these people are going to die.” He gave the other a disappointed look. “If you had any compassion you’d be upset too.”

Crowley forced the image of all the people drowning out of his mind. The fallen angel couldn’t afford to dwell on that right now. If he wanted things to go his way, he had to look like he didn’t care.

He cocked one eyebrow at the angel, giving Aziraphale an insolent look. “Demon,” the serpent reminded him. “Sides, they are all going to Hell. Victory for my side.”

The angel glared. “They still have a choice.” It was possible some of them would repent.

Crowley snickered. “Please, the only righteous being on the planet is you.” His expression turned nasty. “But I can fix that,” he lunged for the angel, claws outstretched. He missed.

Despite his easy-going nature, Aziraphale hadn’t been assigned to the eastern gate for being a pushover. The angel drew himself up, if a fight was what the demon wanted, than he would give it to him.

A whimper escaped Crowley’s throat as one hand snaked around his midsection, he really didn’t feel so good. He was covered with burns from divine fire. The demon looked up at his counterpart.

Any vestige of the friendly human was gone. Aziraphale stood in his true form, wings outstretched. His entire body glowed from the force of his divine presence. Then there were his eyes. The silvery orbs were as inhuman as Crowley’s in their own way. The angel gave the serpent one last look, then turned to walk away.

He was leaving. Aziraphale was leaving. This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. It wasn’t logic that prompted Crowley’s next action; it was panic, sheer adulterated panic. “No!” he dug one hand into the other’s robe, disregarding the fact his hand was starting to smolder.

The angel looked down at the injured demon confused. This entire encounter had been out of the ordinary. Crowley was not a fan of direct confrontation. He preferred to act behind the scenes. Aziraphale searched the serpent’s features, looking for an answer. A gasp escaped his throat as he saw the desperation behind those yellow eyes.

“Please,” Crowley whispered. At this point begging was not beneath him.

The glow faded, leaving a fairly average looking man in its place. “What is wrong?” he asked softly.

“A thousand ways he could destroy the Earth, and he chooses a flood,” Crowley choked from the effort of suppressing sobs. He had never cried before, and he wasn’t about to start now.

Aziraphale just gave him a blank look.

“For sssomebody’s sssake! Think angel, everything covered in water by _His_ command.”

The angel inhaled sharply. Holy water, Aziraphale realized, instant death to any demon at that quantity. He didn’t like Crowley, but no one deserved that fate. “Why are you still here?” he demanded.

Crowley glared. “You think I want to be. I asked to be recalled,” he closed his eyes remembering what had happened. “They laughed at me. None of the people downstairs believed he would actually do it.”

The demon shivered. He could already feel the moisture gathering in the air. It wouldn’t be long now before it started, a few days at most. Crowley made no effort to move from his place, bowed before the angel. “Just, just make it quick.” He didn’t open his eyes.

For several minutes, neither of them moved. Then Aziraphale spoke. “You’re wrong you know. I am not the only righteous person on Earth.” He had already decided what he was going to do.

Crowley opened his eyes. The expression on his face could be easily interpreted as so what.

“The Lord has decided to spare Noah and his family,” he informed the demon. “He and his sons have spent many years constructing an ark, to give shelter to the God’s creations.” Aziraphale gave Crowley a considering look. “I have been given no instructions to exclude demons.” They were his creations as well, even if they had turned from him.

The serpent stared at Aziraphale’s outstretched hand in disbelief, before raising his eyes to his. “You would do this for me?”

“Yes,” the single word was more convincing than any speech. Besides, angels didn’t lie.

Crowley swallowed hard, and allowed Aziraphale to help him to his feet. For whatever reason, the other had given him a chance, and he wasn’t going to blow it.


End file.
